If you pick-and-choose your days, I'd definitely take out a 18 Panga. I used to take an old 17 Whaler within 10 miles+ chasing kings and such. Granted mostly spring-summer when its flat.... chase tarpon, kings and cobes. And in May if you're really lucky a wahoo or sail

Your boat will be able to handle a lot offshore. I have been fishing out of my pangamarine 18 skiff for 10 years. I fish up and down the whole coast. I have been on the water my whole life so I take all the precautions and watch the weather when i plan on going out in the ocean. I have fished my boat as far as 35 miles out. Since you don't have any offshore experience, I would recommend when you start going offshore, maybe your first couple of times go out of canaveral inlet or fort pierce inlet. Make sure the seas are no more than 2 feet. Sebastian inlet can be a bitch and if you have no experience, it could get bad fast. It may be fine going out but coming back if the waves are against the current, situations like that can make it sporty. Read up on the hulltruth about safety equipment to carry and things like that. Fishing inshore in the boat is a no problem either. I have fished the inshore areas around sebastian several times and the boat can go all over in those areas. Get a top spot map of whatever area you plan to fish so you can learn the area and a gps to know where you are with a marine chip to give you bottom contours.